Singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata has been writing the soundtrack for every girl who’s ever felt heartbroken, desperate or lovelorn since her 2004 debut “Happenstance.”

Her ability to relate to people — both lyrically and musically — is front-and-center on Yamagata’s latest release, “Chesapeake.”

“Lyrically, it’s very much about connecting with other people and saying goodbye and all of those different stages of relationships,” said the Arlington, Va., native, who said she has no problem expressing herself lyrically, no matter how raw and honest the result is.

“It actually energizes me,” said Yamagata. “I think it’s harder to try and make up a storyline. But when you’re banking on your own experience, your own interpretation of something, the material is right there. It’s nonfiction versus fiction.

“It’s harder to present (that emotion) on stage and be that vulnerable, but not in the studio,” she said.

When asked if men have shied away from her knowing they could end up in her tunes, Yamagata said she’s been lucky so far.

“I think the people who are attracted to me in any kind of relationship know that they’re up against whatever I feel is the reality of a situation. And I’m just as harsh on myself as I am on the other person as far as relationships,” she said.

“It has to do with my willingness to be honest about those things — if they’re up for it, it works out. It’s more after the relationship ends when it’s like, ‘Oh, shoot. There’s a song about it!’ ” she laughed.

“Chesapeake” is also Yamagata’s first foray into live studio recording with her band.

“Musically, I think it’s just about having a great time with people, being very spontaneous in a live setting in the studio. We recorded a lot of the stuff live and just tried to keep it energetic and inspired,” she said.

“We tracked most of the band in seven days — the fastest that I’ve ever worked,” said Yamagata, who said being together with the whole band made each session feel more intimate.

“It was much closer to (performing live), very collaborative,” she said. “When we got the take, everybody knew we got the take.”

On “Chesapeake,” Yamagata reunited with producer John Alagia, with whom she worked on “Happenstance.” While some have pointed out similarities between the records, the 34-year-old singer said this CD is different.

“The combination of (me and Alagia) has a similar flair to what we have had before, so I think some of that will resonate but this doesn’t quite feel like ‘Happenstance’ to me. I think that in terms of the full body of work, there are similarities, but this record is definitely different.

“I think it’s a little bit more freeform, more spontaneous. There are a couple songs with a sense of humor to them that are a little lighter in tone,” she said, adding that she viewed the album as an “evolution” of “Happenstance” and 2008’s “Elephants ... Teeth Sinking Into Heart.”

She certainly seems happy with the final product, noting that her favorite song “changes every day.” Right now, she’s partial to “Full On” and “Dealbreaker.”

Yamagata said she has an EP coming out within the next few months and plans to spend most of the coming year out on the road promoting “Chesapeake.” Later this month, she will play in Hoboken for the first time at Maxwell’s.

When told that Maxwell’s was an intimate venue, Yamagata was excited and said she looked forward to her Hudson County debut.

Further down the line, Yamagata hopes to include more orchestral instruments on her work and maybe even try her hand at producing.

Through it all, she said keeping her eyes open also keeps her going.

“Just being a keen observer keeps me inspired,” she said. “It’s just trying to be in the moment every day. I think people are so interesting - they’re fascinating to me! It’s daily life and even when you want to pull your hair out, there’s something beautiful to it.”